Image forming apparatus, method, and program

ABSTRACT

An image forming apparatus enables utilizing an output of proof printing as an output of final printing, wherein the image forming apparatus includes an image former forming an image on a sheet, an image reader reading an image formed on the sheet, and a controller, wherein the controller acquires a determination result of whether or not a sheet, on which an image read by the image reader is formed before the final printing by the image former in order to create a reference image to be used for inspecting an output matter of a printing job, can be used for an output matter of the final printing and controls the number of sheets or copies on which the images are to be formed using the image former at the final printing.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Japanese patent application No.2020-109180 filed on Jun. 24, 2020, the contents of which applicationsare incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an imageforming method and an image forming program.

Description of the Related Art

An image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multi-Functional Peripheral)may create stain from toner or the like, streaks, spot-shapedimage-noises called fireflies, and the like on an image formed on asheet. Therefore, an automatic image inspection device is provided inthe image forming apparatus to inspect the image formed on the sheet.This automatic image inspection device is a device that compares animage (reference image) obtained by scanning during proof printing(trial printing) before final printing with an image (inspection image)obtained by scanning during the final printing and extracts a differencebetween the reference image and the inspection image to judge quality ofthe inspection image. In addition, interlocking the automatic imageinspection device and the sorting device allows excluding an outputmatter (spoiled paper) from which the difference is extracted to obtainan output matter of only non-defective matters.

Regarding such an image inspection, for example. Patent Literature:Japanese unexamined patent application No. 2016-146514 discloses animage forming apparatus including: an image former forming an image on apaper; an image reader reading a paper surface on which the image isformed by the image former to create a scan image; an image checkercomparing the scanned image created by the image reader to a correctimage (reference image) to detect an abnormality in the scanned image;and a history generation unit generating a history image by generatingdetection information indicating detections of respective abnormalitiesand embedding the created detection information of the respectiveabnormalities in the scan image when at least one abnormality isdetected by the image checker.

For the above-mentioned reference image, for example, an image obtainedby scanning during the proof printing before the final printing isvisually confirmed and set by a user. There is also a technique of usingan RIP (rasterized) image of the print source data as a reference image,but an image printed by an electrophotographic image forming apparatustends to be slightly larger in a sub-scanning direction. Therefore, itis preferable to use an image obtained by scanning an output printed bythe image forming apparatus as a reference image instead of an RIP imagefrom the print source data. Further, conventionally, the output for theproof printing used for generating the reference image has beendiscarded without being used as the output of the formal printing.

SUMMARY Technical Problem

It is not economical to discard the output (printed matter) of the proofprint when the reference image is created as in the conventional case.In particular, when the number of pages of the print source data islarge (in a case of material having the large number of pages), it iswasteful of resources to discard sheets having no spoilage outputted atthe time of the proof printing without utilizing. Further, if the proofprintings are carried out for a plurality of times (if the proofprinting of large number of copies are carried out) until obtaining thesatisfactory reference image, it is more wasteful of resources todiscard sheets having no spoilage outputted at the time of the proofprinting without utilizing.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentionedproblems, and it is at least one of objects of the present invention toprovide an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and animage forming program capable of utilizing an output of the proofprinting as an output of the final printing.

Solution to Problem

To achieve the at least one of the abovementioned objects, the followingsolutions are provided according to several aspects of the presentinvention.

(1) an image forming apparatus including: an image former forming animage on a sheet, an image reader reading the image formed on the sheet,and a controller, wherein the controller acquires a determination resultof whether or not a sheet, on which an image read by the image reader isformed before the final printing by the image former in order to createa reference image to be used for inspecting an output matter of aprinting job, can be used for an output matter of final printing andcontrols on a basis of the determination result the number of sheets orcopies on which the images are to be formed using the image former atthe final printing.

(2) the image forming apparatus according to above (1), wherein thecontroller determines whether or not the sheet on which the image isformed before the final printing by the image former is available for anoutput matter of the final printing on a basis of scanned data read bythe image reader.

(3) the image forming apparatus according to (1), wherein the controlleracquires information on the sheet determined to be available for theoutput matter of the final printing through a user's input operation.

(4) the image forming apparatus according to any one of above (1) to(3), wherein the controller makes the image former form images at thefinal printing by the number of sheets obtained by subtracting thenumber of the sheets determined to be available for the output matter atthe final printing from the number of sheets directed to the printingjob.

(5) the image forming apparatus according to any one of the above (1) to(3), wherein the determination result is obtained per copy on whether ornot the sheets are available for the output of the final printing,wherein the controller makes the image former form images at the finalprinting by the number of sheets obtained by subtracting the number ofthe sheets determined to be available for the output matter at the finalprinting from the number of sheets directed to the printing job.

(6) the image forming apparatus according to any one of the above (1) to(5), wherein the image data processed by the printing job includes asingle page or multiple pages.

(7) the image forming apparatus according to any one of above (1) to(6), wherein the controller takes in the sheets that are determined tobe available for an output of the final printing from a second paperfeed that is different from a first paper feed for feeding a sheet to beused at the final printing.

(8) the image forming apparatus according to the above (7), wherein thecontroller also takes in a sheet that is unavailable for the output ofthe final printing from the second paper feed and discharges the sheetunavailable for the output of the final printing to a second paperdischarging means different from a first paper discharging means towhich a paper for the final printing is discharged.

(9) the image forming apparatus according to any one of above (1) to(8), wherein the controller notifies the user on information on thesheets available for the output of the final printing or information onthe number of the papers or the number of the copies whose images areformed by the image former at the final printing.

(10) the image forming apparatus according to above (9), wherein thecontroller receives a user's selection of whether or not to use thesheet determined to be available for the output of the final printing asthe output matter at the final printing actually.

(11) an image forming method, implemented by an image forming apparatus,the image forming apparatus including: an image former forming an imageon a sheet, an image reader reading the image formed on the sheet, and acontroller, wherein the method causes the controller to execute:acquiring a determination result of whether or not a sheet, on which animage read by the image reader is formed before final printing by theimage former in order to create a reference image to be used forinspecting an output matter of a printing job, can be used for an outputmatter of the final printing: and controlling on a basis of thedetermination result the number of sheets or copies on which the imagesare to be formed using the image former at the final printing.

(12) a computer-readable non-volatile storage including an image formingprogram implemented in an image forming apparatus, the image formingapparatus including: an image former forming an image on a sheet, animage reader reading the image formed on the sheet, and a controller,wherein the program, when executed by the controller, causes thecontroller to perform: acquiring a determination result on whether ornot a sheet, on which an image read by the image reader is formed beforefinal printing by the image former in order to create a reference imageto be used for inspecting an output matter of a printing job can be usedfor an output matter of the final printing; and controlling on a basisof the determination result the number of sheets or copies on which theimages are to be formed using the image former at the final printing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of theinvention may be more clearly understood from detailed description givenhereinbelow and the appended drawings, which are given by way ofillustration only and thus are not to be understood as a definition ofthe limits of the present invention. The drawings are as follows:

FIG. 1: a general configuration diagram of a printing system includingan image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2: a hardware configuration diagram of a client terminal accordingto the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3: a functional configuration diagram of the client terminalaccording to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4: a hardware configuration diagram of the image forming apparatusaccording to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5: a functional configuration diagram of the image formingapparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6: a diagram for explaining a method of creating a reference imagein the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7: an example of a sheet-usage setting screen for a user to selecta sheet to be used at the final printing:

FIG. 8A: a flowchart illustrating an image forming method implemented bythe image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8B: a flowchart illustrating the image forming method of the imageforming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described indetail with reference to the drawings. Each figure is only schematicallyshown to the extent that the present invention is able to be fullyunderstood. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to theillustrated examples. Further, in each figure, common components orsimilar components are designated by the same reference signs, andduplicate description thereof is omitted. In addition, detaileddescription of known features not directly related to the presentinvention may be omitted.

Overview of Embodiment

As shown in the “background”, the image forming apparatus may create thestain from the toner or the like, streaks, spot-shaped image-noisescalled fireflies, and the like on the image formed on the sheet.Therefore, the automatic image inspection device is provided in theimage forming apparatus to compares the reference image (also called“correct image”) to the inspection image obtained by scanning during thefinal printing and extracts a difference between the reference image andthe inspection image to judge quality of the inspection image or toexclude the output matter (spoiled paper) from which any difference isextracted.

In the present embodiment, in a case in which the reference image to beused in the inspection of the final printing is created from the scannedimage of the output matter (printed matter) at the time of the proofprinting (trial printing), the output matter of the proof printing istaken in at an appropriate timing of the final printing at which thecorresponding page of the corresponding copy of the output matter of theproof printing should be taken in, and the output matter of the proofprinting taken in is outputted as the final printing output. At thistime, the image forming apparatus executes the image forming by the pagenumber obtained by subtracting the number of the proof printing outputmatters taken in at the final printing.

<Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus of Embodiment>

FIG. 1 is a general configuration diagram of a printing system 1including an image forming apparatus 20 according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

The printing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system that creates a printedmatter from an RIP (rasterized) image of print source data. The printingsystem 1 creates a reference image from a scanned image of the printedmatter outputted at the time of the proof printing (trial printing) andcompares a scanned image of the printed matter outputted at the time ofthe final printing to the reference image created to inspect quality ofthe printed matter of the final printing (for example, whether or notspoilage is included).

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes a client terminal 10,an image forming apparatus 20, and the like. These apparatuses areconnected to each other via a communication network 2 such as a LAN(Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) defined by standardssuch as Ethernet™. Token Ring, and FDDI (Fiber-Distributed DataInterface). Hereinafter, each apparatus is described.

<Client Terminal>

The configuration of the client terminal 10 is described with referenceto FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of theclient terminal 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the client terminal 10according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the client terminal 10 includes a controller 11, astorage 12, a network I/F (interface) unit 13, a display unit 14, anoperation unit 15, and the like. The client terminal 10 is a device suchas a personal computer. The client terminal 10 creates and transmits aprint job to the image forming apparatus 20.

The controller 11 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit)11 a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) 11 b or a RAM (RandomAccess Memory) 11 c. The CPU 11 a expands a control program stored inthe ROM 11 b or the storage 12 into the RAM 11 c and executes it tocontrol an operation of the entire client terminal 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 11 (particularly the CPU 11 a)executes an OS (Operating System) 16, a document creation application17, a printer driver 18, and the like.

The OS 16 is, “Windows™”, “Mac OS™”, “Android™”, and the like, andenables the document creation application 17 and the printer driver 18to operate in the client terminal 10.

The document creation application 17 is software that performs sentencecreation, spreadsheets, image processing, and the like, and enablescreation of a document composed of a single page or a plurality ofpages. The controller 11 retrieves the printer driver 18 at a time ofissuing a print instruction, and transfers data created by the documentcreation application 17 to the printer driver 18.

The printer driver 18 displays a print condition setting screen (printsetting screen) on the display unit 14 and receives a print conditionset by the user. The printer driver 18, when the setting of the printcondition is completed, converts application format data created by thedocument creation application 17 into PDL (Page description Language)data such as PJL (Printer Job Language), PS (PostScript), or PCL(Printer Control Language). Then, the printer driver 18 transmits thePDL data converted to the image forming apparatus 20 as a print jobtogether with the print condition setting data (print setting data).Note that it is assumed that the printer driver 18 has two modes, printand save. In the print mode, the image forming apparatus 20 prints bythe print job transmitted from the client terminal 10. In the save mode,printing is not immediately performed for the print job transmitted fromthe client terminal 10, and the print job is saved in the storage 22 orthe like of the image forming apparatus 20.

The storage 12 includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid StateDrive), and the like, and stores a program that the CPU 11 a runs tocontrol each unit, information on a processing function of an ownapparatus, and data created by the document creation application 17, aprint job created by the printer driver 18, and the like.

The network I/F unit 13 includes an NIC (Network Interface Card), amodem, or the like, connects the client terminal 10 to the communicationnetwork 2, and transmits a print job to the image forming apparatus 20.

The display unit 14 includes a liquid crystal display device (LCD:Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electroluminescence) displaydevice, and the like, and displays a document creation screen from thedocument creation application 17, a print setting screen from theprinter driver 18 according to a display control signal inputted fromthe controller 11.

The operation unit 15 includes a mouse, a keyboard, and the like,receives operations such as creating a document on the document creationscreen and a setting on a print condition on the print setting screen,and outputs an operation signal to the controller 11.

<Image Forming Apparatus>

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a configuration of the image formingapparatus 20 is described. FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram ofthe image forming apparatus 20 according to the embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 5 is a functional configuration diagram of theimage forming apparatus 20 according to the embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus 20 includes a controller21, a storage 22, a network I/F unit 23, a display operation unit 24, animage processing unit 25, an image former 26, and an image reader 27, animage checker 28, and the like. The image forming apparatus 20 is anapparatus, such as an MFP (Multi-Functional Peripherals), forming animage on a medium, which is assumed as a sheet in this embodiment. TheMFP has functions such as a copier, a printer, and a facsimile machine.The image forming apparatus 20 receives a print job from the clientterminal 10 and executes the print job received.

The controller 21 includes a CPU 21 a, and a memory such as a ROM 21 band a RAM 21 c. The CPU 21 a performs a central control of an operationof the image forming apparatus 20 by reading a program (including animage forming program described below) corresponding to a processingfunction from the ROM 21 b or the storage 22 and developing andexecuting the program on the RAM 21 c.

The storage 22 includes an HDD. SSD, or the like, and stores a program(including an image forming program) for the CPU 21 a to control eachunit, information on the processing function of the own apparatus,rasterized image data of a printing job created by the image processingunit 25, scanned image data read by the image reader 27, a referenceimage created by the image creation unit 32 (see FIG. 5), information onan output matter of the proof printing that can be used as an output ofthe final printing, an inspection result from the inspection unit 28,and the like.

The network I/F unit 23 includes an NIC, a modem, and the like, connectsthe image forming apparatus 20 to the communication network 2, receivesa print job from the client terminal 10, or sends and receives variousdata with another image forming apparatus 20.

The display operation unit 24 includes a touch panel and the like,wherein the touch panel is provided on a display unit such as an LCD oran organic EL display with an operation component (touch sensor) of oneof types such as a pressure-sensitive type or a capacitance type inwhich transparent electrodes are arranged in a grid pattern, and servesas a display unit and an operation unit. The display unit 24 displaysvarious operation screens, including a sheet usage setting screen 50described below (see FIG. 7), an image forming status, an operationstatus of each function, and the like according to the display controlsignal inputted from the controller 21. The operation unit receivesvarious input operations inputted by a user, including a sheet selectionoperation using the sheet-usage setting screen 50 (see FIG. 7), andoutputs an operation signal to the controller 21. Note that the displayunit and the operation unit may be separately provided, although thetouch panel in which the display unit and the operation unit areintegrated is illustrated here.

The image processing unit 25 functions as an RIP (Raster ImageProcessor), and creates intermediate data (display list (DJ, which is anintermediate language) from a print job, and rasterizes each page of adocument to create bitmap format image data. Further, the imageprocessing unit 25 performs screen processing, gradation adjustment,density balance adjustment, thinning, halftone dot processing, and thelike on the image data, as necessary. Then, the image processing unit 25outputs the created image data to the image former 26.

The image former 26 includes components such as a charging device, aphotoconductor drum, an exposure device, a transfer roller, a transferbelt, and a fixing device that are necessary for image forming using animage forming process of one of methods of an electrophotographicmethod, an electrostatic recording method, and the like, and forms animage of each page of a document on a sheet. Specifically, the imageformer 26 irradiates light corresponding to the image data with theexposure device to the photoconductor drum charged by the chargingdevice to form an electrostatic latent image; adheres toner charged by adeveloping device on the electrostatic latent image to develop it; andtransfers the toner image to a sheet via a primary transfer roller and asecondary transfer belt and fixes the image transferred with the fixingdevice.

The image reader 27 scans the image formed on the sheet to acquire ascanned image (scanned image). The image reader 27 includes, forexample, three types of sensors, R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue), anddetects RGB values according to the amount of light reflected by thesheet to obtain an image to output the values as data. Further, ifnecessary, a background color switching unit for holding a plurality ofcolors of background plates in a switchable manner is provided. Thebackground color switching unit may switch a background color accordingto colors of a sheet and an image formed on the sheet when the imagereader 27 scans the sheet.

The image checker 28 compares a read image (inspection image) obtainedby reading a sheet on which an image is formed according to a print jobto an image to be an inspection criteria (reference image) created bythe image creation unit 32 described below at a time of the finalprinting of a document, and thereby determines quality of the inspectionimage (presence or absence of difference). Further, the image checker 28separates a non-defective matter having no difference from a defectivematter having a difference if necessary, based on the inspection resultof the image checker 28, and discharges both matters into a differentpaper discharge tray. The image reader 27 (or the image reader 27 and abackground color switching unit) and the image checker 28 mainlyconstitute an automatic image inspection device.

Next, description is given of a function implemented by the controller21 of the image forming apparatus 20 with reference to FIG. 5. As shownin FIG. 5, the controller 21 (particularly the CPU 21 a) serves as animage acquisition unit 31, an image creation unit 32, a determinationunit 33, a tray controller 34, a print number controller 35, and thelike.

At the time of the proof printing (trial printing) of a document, theimage acquisition unit 31 causes the image former 26 to form an image ofthe same page on a plurality of sheets, causes the image reader 27 toread the images of the same page formed on the plurality of sheets andto acquire the plurality of read images corresponding to the pluralityof sheets, and outputs the plurality of read images to the storage 22and the image creation unit 32. Further, at the time of the finalprinting of the document, the image acquisition unit 31 causes the imageformer 26 to form an image of each page of the document on a sheet,causes the image reader 27 to read the image of each page formed on thesheet and to acquire the read image of each page, and outputs the readimages to the storage 22 and the image checker 28.

The image creation unit 32 compares a plurality of scanned images of thesame page, and creates a reference image (also called a “correct image”)used for inspecting the printed image of the document according to thenumber of the scanned images in which difference (for example,difference of each pixel value) falls within a predetermined range amongthe plurality of the scanned images. The case in which difference fallswithin the predetermined range includes, for example, a case in whichthe number of pixels whose difference in its pixel value exceeds apredetermined threshold value is less than or equal to the predeterminednumber and a case in which a density of pixels whose difference in itspixel value exceeds the predetermined threshold is less than apredetermined density value.

Further, the image creation unit 32 can create the reference image on abasis of the scanned images whose difference is within the predeterminedvalue (for example, using an average of pixel values of a plurality ofscanned images) when the number of scanned images whose difference iswithin the predetermined value is equal to or more than thepredetermined number. A, and one of the scanned images whose differenceis within a predetermined value can be used as the reference image.

Further, the image creation unit 32, when there is a page in which thenumber of scanned images whose difference is within the predeterminedvalue does not exceed the predetermined number even if the images areformed on a predetermined number of sheets, can perform a notificationfor prompting the user to confirm the images formed on the predeterminednumber of sheets or a plurality of scanned images corresponding to thepredetermined number of sheets for the concerned page. At this time, theplurality of the scanned images may be displayed on the displayoperation unit 24, and a scanned image selected from the plurality ofthe scanned images may be used as the reference image for the page.Further, the image creation unit 32 can create a reference image groupfor a document by integrating the reference images of respective pages(connecting them across the copies) of the document including aplurality of pages.

Further, the controller 21 can continue a processing of the same page(image formation/image reading/acquisition of scanned image/comparisonof scanned images) until the number of scanned images whose differenceis within the predetermined value becomes the predetermined number ormore; or a processing of only pages among multiple pages that make up adocument where the number of scanned images whose difference is lessthan the predetermined value is less than the predetermined number.

The determination unit 33 acquires a determination result of determiningan output matter that can be used as an output matter at the finalprinting among the output matter (here, a sheet is assumed) in which animage is formed by the proof printing. The determination unit 33acquires the determination result by itself, for example, by determiningthat a sheet that is not spoiled at the proof printing can be used as anoutput matter of the final printing. More specifically, thedetermination unit 33 determines whether or not an image printed at theproof printing can be used as an output matter of the final printingbased on the read data of the image printed at the proof printing.

Further, the determination unit 33 may acquire information (that is,determination result) of the output matter of the proof printing thatcan be used as the output matter of the final printing via an inputoperation of a user. In this case, the user, for example, visuallyconfirms the output matter of the proof print and inputs whether it canbe used as the output matter of the final printing. Further, thedetermination unit 33 may determine whether or not the output matter ofthe proof print can be used as the output matter for the final printingbased on any other information inputted by the user.

Further, the determination unit 33 may determine that a sheet cannot beused as the output matter of the final printing when the user gives aninstruction not to use the sheet as the output matter of the finalprinting even if the sheet is not spoiled. At that time, information foridentifying a sheet without spoilage (that is, information on a sheetthat can be used as the output of the final printing, for example, apage number or a copy number) can be displayed on the display operationunit 24, and the determination unit 33 determines that the sheetselected among the displayed sheets (or the sheet not selected) can beused as the output matter of the final printing.

The determination unit 33 outputs, for example, information on whetheror not to use the output matter outputted at the proof printing as theoutput matter of the final printing to units such as the storage 22, thetray controller 34, and the print number controller 35. The informationoutputted by the determination unit 33 to the storage 22 or the like maybe, for example, only information about the sheets to be used, onlyinformation about the sheets not to be used, or information about bothof the sheets to be used and the sheets not to be used. In addition, theinformation outputted by the determination unit 33 to the storage 22 orthe like is preferably associated with information that identifies asheet on which an image is formed by the proof printing. A way of theassociation is not limited to a particular one, and for example, may bean association using information that combines a page number and a copynumber, association using an order in which sheets are outputted, andthe like.

The tray controller 34 controls paper feed and discharge during theproof printing and during the final printing. A control of a sheetperformed by the tray controller 34 may be one corresponding to, forexample, an operation way of the image forming apparatus 20.

The tray controller 34 discharges, for example, a sheet on which animage is formed by the proof printing (including both a sheet that canbe used as an output of the final printing and a sheet that cannot beused as it) to a predetermined tray. The user takes out the sheetejected by the proof printing and puts the sheet as it is taken out (thesheets whose order is not changed nor increased/decreased) in apredetermined tray (preferably a tray different from a tray in which thesheet is fed at the final printing, for example, an inserter tray). Thetray controller 34 takes in a sheet from the inserter tray at a timingof an appropriate copy and page of the final printing, and dischargesthe taken-in sheet as the output matter of the final printing. Theunusable sheet is discharged to a predetermined tray (preferably a traydifferent from the tray for discharge at the final printing, forexample, a purge tray).

The print number controller 35 controls the number of sheets (or thenumber of copies) to be formed by the image former 26 at the time of thefinal printing based on the determination result from the determinationunit 33. For example, suppose that 100 sheets of a single-page imagedata are printed, and 5 sheets that can be used as output matters forthe final printing are outputted by the proof printing. In this case,the print number controller 35 causes the sheets to be outputted at thefinal printing by the number equal to the number of prints (here. 100sheets) set in the print job minus the number of prints (here. 5 sheets)outputted by the proof printing (95 sheets in this case). It should benoted that it may be determined in a unit of copies whether or not theoutput matter of the proof printing can be used at the final printing,and the copies may be outputted at the final printing by the number ofcopies obtained by subtracting the number of copies outputted at theproof printing from the number of copies set in the print job.

Next, description is given of a method of creating a reference imageusing the image forming apparatus 20 configured as described above withreference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 assumes a document composed of 5 pages(print source data includes 5 pages), and shows that the referenceimages of all the pages have been able to be created at the fifth copy.When the number of copies of scanned images whose difference is within apredetermined range is two or more copies, the scanned images of thecopies are used as the reference image. The shaded sheet in the FIG. 6indicates that it is the reference image of each page. In thisembodiment, it is premised that spoilage (dirt) does not adhere toexactly the same position and in the same shape in all the copies.Further. “XX spoiled (XX is a place)” in the figure indicates that thereexists spoilage (dirt) at the position of XX of the printed matter. Forexample, the figure shows that the first copy of the second page has aspoilage in the upper left.

As shown in FIG. 6, because there is no spoilage on the first page inthe first and second copies, the reference image can be created at thetime of the second copy, and the second copy is used as the referenceimage. Here, even after the reference image for the first page iscreated, if the reference image for another page is not created (whenthere remains a page for which the reference image has not beencreated), the control is designed to continue the proof printing of thepage. For example, because the reference images of the second to fifthpages have not been created when the second copy of the first page isprinted, the proof printing of the third and subsequent copies of thefirst page is continued. It should be noted that the control may be suchthat the proof printing of the page is terminated when its referenceimage is created.

Further, because the second page has spoilage found in the first andsecond copies and no spoilage found in the third and fourth copies, thereference image can be created at the time of the fourth copy, and thefourth copy is used as the reference image.

Similarly, the third page has spoilage found in the first copy and nospoilage found in the second and third copies, and therefore thereference image can be created at the time of the third copy, and thethird copy is used as the reference image.

Similarly, the fourth page has spoilage found in the second copy and nospoilage found in the first and third copies, and therefore thereference image can be created at the time of the third copy, and thethird copy is used as the reference image.

Similarly, the fifth page has spoilage found in the first to thirdcopies and no spoilage found in the fourth and fifth copies, andtherefore the reference image can be created at the time of the fifthcopy, and the fifth copy is used as the reference image.

After the reference images of all the pages are created, a referenceimage group for the document is created by connecting the referenceimages prepared for respective pages across the copy (here, the secondcopy of the first page, the fourth copy of the second page, the thirdcopy of the third pages, the third copy of the fourth page, and thefifth copy of the fifth page). This reference image group is used forinspecting the output matter at the final printing and can inspect allthe pages (first to fifth pages).

Further, the image forming apparatus 20 my use an output matter(assuming a sheet here) that is not spoiled at the proof printing as anoutput matter of the final printing. In the example shown in FIG. 6,five sheets from the first to fifth copies of the first page, threesheets from the third to fifth copies of the second page, and foursheets from the second to fifth copies of the third page, four sheetsfrom the first and the third to fifth copies of the fourth page, twosheets from the fourth and fifth copies of the fifth page can be used asthe output matters at the final printing.

It should be noted that the output matter of the proof printing may beused by the unit of copy for the output matters at the final printing,in order to simplify the control. For example, a copy whose pages areall not spoiled may be used as a printed matter of the final printing.In the example shown in FIG. 6, at the proof printing, a total of 10sheets of the fourth and fifth copies that are not spoiled on all thefirst to fifth pages can be used as printed matters at the finalprinting.

Further, in the present embodiment, because the sheet on which the imageis formed at the proof printing can be used as the printed matter at thefinal printing, the number of copies to be proof printed may be set alarger amount than the expected number of copies printed until thecreation of the reference image of all pages is completed. Even such acontrol may not waste work and resources.

In FIG. 6, the reference image is created when the number of scannedimages whose difference is within the predetermined value reaches thepredetermined number (here, two copies), but the reference image may becreated when the scanned images whose differences each is within thepredetermined value are continuously obtained a predetermined number oftimes (for example, two copies). In this case, the fourth page has nospoilage found continuously in the third and fourth copies, andtherefore the fourth copy of the fourth page is used as the referenceimage.

With respect to use of the sheet having an image formed at the proofprinting as an output matter of the final printing, a sheet (or a copy)used by a user may be selected. FIG. 7 is an example of the sheet-usagesetting screen 50 in which the sheet used by the user may be selected.The sheet-usage setting screen 50 shown in FIG. 7 allows specifying acopy order for each page and selecting whether or not to use the sheeton which an image is formed at the proof printing.

The sheet-usage setting screen 50 shown in FIG. 7 includes a print jobinformation display area 51, a sheet-specific designation area 52, anall-sheets designation area 53, an OK button 54, and a cancel button 55.The sheet-usage setting screen 50 may be displayed on the image formingapparatus 20 or on the client terminal 10.

The print job information display area 51 displays information about theprint job (for example, job ID, user name, job registration time).

The sheet-specific designation area 52 is provided with a “Use” button52 a and a “Not use” button 52 b in association with a page and a copy.A user can select whether or not to use a sheet on which its image isformed at the proof printing by designating the “Use” button 52 a or the“Not use” button 52 b to select a copy number per each page. Informationon the sheet displayed in the sheet-specific designation area 52 (thatis, the sheet on which the user can select whether or not to use it asan output at the final printing) is a sheet determined to be free fromspoilage at the proof printing, for example, five sheets from the firstto fifth copy of the first page.

The all-sheets designation area 53 is provided with a “Use all” button53 a and a “Not use all” button 53 b. When the user specifies the “Useall” button 53 a, all the sheets displayed in the sheet-specificdesignation area 52 can be used as the output matter of the finalprinting. Further, when the user specifies the “Not use all” button 53b, all the sheets displayed in the sheet-specific designation area 52can be prevented from being used as the output matter of the finalprinting. Note that the number of sheets or the number of copies thatcan be used at the final printing (or the number of sheets or the numberof copies that are actually printed at the final printing) may bedisplayed so that the user can increase or decrease that number.

It Is preferable to provide an active/inactive prohibition rule (whenone button is selected the selected button becomes active and the otherbutton becomes inactive) for the display of the “Use” button 52 a andthe “Not use” button 52 b, and the display of the “Use all” button 53 aand the “Not use all” button 53 b so as to be selected only either oneof “use” and “not use” for one page.

The user selects a sheet to be used (or a sheet not to be used) in thesheet-specific designation area 52 or the all-sheets designation area53, and then presses the OK button 54. This allows information onwhether to use or not to use the sheet specified by the user to beregistered. When the user will not execute selection of the sheet to beused, the user selects the cancel button 55.

<Operation of Image Forming Apparatus According to the Embodiment>

FIGS. 8A and 8B are flowcharts illustrating an image forming method bythe image forming apparatus 20 according to the embodiment of thepresent invention.

The CPU 21 a executes a processing of each step shown in the flowchartsof FIGS. 8A and 8B by expanding and executing the image forming programstored in the ROM 21 b or the storage 22 on the RAM 21 c. It should benoted that the number of copies (how many copies first and in total) ofthe proof printing for creating the reference image may be preconfiguredin advance. In FIGS. 8A and 8B, steps performed by the user areindicated by broken lines.

First, the user operates the display operation unit 24 of the imageforming apparatus 20 to instruct the apparatus 20 to start an automaticinspection printing (step S101). Further, the user operates the displayoperation unit 24 of the image forming apparatus 20 to specify thenumber of copies at the time of the final printing (step S102).

When the user gives the instruction to start the automatic inspectionprinting and the direction of the number of copies at the time of thefinal printing, the controller 21 makes the image former 26 start theproof printing (step S103). Next, the controller 21 (image acquisitionunit 31) instructs the image former 26 to print up to a predeterminednumber of copies, for example, the second copy that is the minimumnumber of copies required to create the reference image (step S104),makes the image reader 27 scan the printed matter to create a scannedimage, and stores the scanned image in the storage 22 (step S105).

Next, the controller 21 (image creation unit 32) compares the scannedimages stored per page to derive a reference image for each page (stepS106). Then, the controller 21 (image creation unit 32) determineswhether a reference image has been able to be derived for all respectivepages, i.e., whether the number of scanned images whose differences eachis within the predetermined value is equal to or more than thepredetermined number (step S107). When the reference images for all thepages cannot be derived (‘No’ in step S107), the controller 21 instructsthe image former 26 to print the next copy (step S108), and determinesagain whether or not a reference image has been able to be derived forall respective pages (step S107). The processes of the steps S107 andS108 are repeated until a reference image of all pages can be derived.

When the reference images of all the pages can be derived (“Yes” in stepS107), the controller 21 (image creation unit 32) combines the referenceimages of respective pages stored in the storage 22 across copiestogether and stores the combined reference images in the storage 22 as areference image group of image data corresponding to the print job (stepS109). These are the reference images used for automatic inspection.Then, the controller 21 makes the image former 26 start the finalprinting (step S110).

Further, the controller 21 (determination unit 33) determines which pageand which copy of sheet of the proof printing can be used for the finalprinting and notifies the user of the determination result via thedisplay operation unit 24 (step S111). The user operates the displayoperation unit 24 to select whether or not to use the printed sheet ofthe proof printing for the final printing. The screen for notifying theuser and making the selection may be a screen for selecting in detailwhich copy/page of the printed sheet to use, or a screen for selectingonly whether or not to use the printed sheet. The controller 21(determination unit 33) causes, for example, the sheet-usage settingscreen 50 (see FIG. 7) to pop up on the display operation unit 24.

When the user selects to use the printed sheet of the proof printing forthe final printing (“Yes” in step S112), the controller 21(determination unit 33) notifies the user via the display operation unit24 to set the printed sheet of the proof printing in the inserter tray(step S113). In response to this notification, the user sets the printedsheet of the proof printing (including a sheet that cannot be used forthe final printing) in the inserter tray (step S114).

The controller 21 (tray controller 34) performs control of insertingavailable printed sheets into the output matters of the final printingat a timing for appropriate order of copies and pages appropriate amongthe printed sheets of the proof printing placed in the inserter tray;and discharging the unavailable sheets into the purge tray (step S115).The controller 21 (print number controller 35) notifies the image former26 of the number obtained by subtracting the number of the printedsheets of the proof print that can be used for the final printingdetermined by the determination unit 33 from the number of pagesspecified by the print job and the number of copies specified in thestep S102; and the image former 26 prints the number of pages and thenumber of copies of which the notification has been received (stepS116).

When the user does not choose to use the printed sheet of the proofprinting for the final printing (“No” in step S112), the controller 21(printing number controller 35) instructs the image former 26 to printthe whole number of pages and copies and the image former 26 prints thewhole number of pages and copies (step S121).

During performing the final printing, the image checker 28 compares thescanned image of the sheet printed in the step S116 or the step S121 tothe reference image (step S117). When the comparison in step S117determines that the printed sheet has spoilage (“Yes” in step S118), thecontroller 21 (tray controller 34) controls to discharge this sheet tothe purge tray (step S119). The process from steps S117 to S120 arerepeatedly executed until the printing of all the sheets at the finalprinting is completed.

The image forming apparatus 20 according to the embodiment of thepresent invention configured as described above provides the followingeffects.

When the image forming apparatus 20 creates the reference image to beused for the inspection at the final printing from the scanned image ofthe output matter (printed material) at the time of the proof printing(trial printing), the image forming apparatus 20 takes in the outputmatter of the proof printing at the timing of the appropriate copy orderand page order for the final printing to output the output matter of theproof printing as the output matter of the final printing. At this time,the image forming apparatus 20 executes the image forming operation atthe final printing by the number obtained by subtracting the number ofthe output matters of the proof printing taken in from the number ofpapers specified for the printing job. Therefore, the output matter ofthe proof printing can be utilized as the output matter of the finalprinting, which allows work and resources used for the proof printing tobe suppressed from being wasted.

In summary, the embodiment of the present invention may utilize anoutput matter of a proof print as an output matter of the finalprinting.

Although the embodiments of the present invention is described above,the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments,and may be modified or varied to be implemented as appropriate.

The means and methods for performing various processes in the printingsystem 1 according to the above-described embodiment can be implementedby either a dedicated hardware circuit or a computer operated by aprogram. The program may be provided via a computer-readable recordingmedium such as a flexible disk or a CD-ROM; or may be provided onlinevia a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recordedon the computer-readable recording medium is usually transferred to astorage device such as a hard disk (HDD) and stored therein. Further,the above program may be provided as a single application of software,or may be incorporated into software of a device as one function of thedevice.

Although embodiments of the present invention are described andillustrated in detail as above, the disclosed embodiments are made forpurposes of illustration and example only and not limitation of thepresent invention. The scope of the present invention should beinterpreted by terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image former forming an image on a sheet, an image reader reading the image formed on the sheet, and a controller, wherein the controller: acquires a determination result of whether or not a sheet, on which an image read by the image reader is formed before the final printing by the image former in order to create a reference image to be used for inspecting an output matter of a printing job, can be used for an output matter of final printing; and controls on a basis of the determination result the number of sheets or copies on which the images are to be formed using the image former at the final printing.
 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether or not the sheet on which the image is formed before the final printing by the image former is available for an output matter of the final printing on a basis of scanned data read by the image reader.
 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller acquires information on the sheet determined to be available for the output matter of the final printing through a user's input operation.
 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller makes the image former form images at the final printing by the number of sheets obtained by subtracting the number of the sheets determined to be available for the output matter at the final printing from the number of sheets directed to the printing job.
 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination result is obtained per copy on whether or not the sheets are available for the output of the final printing, wherein the controller makes the image former form images at the final printing by the number of sheets obtained by subtracting the number of the sheets determined to be available for the output matter at the final printing from the number of sheets directed to the printing job.
 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data processed by the printing job includes a single page or multiple pages.
 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller takes in the sheets that are determined to be available for an output of the final printing from a second paper feed that is different from a first paper feed for feeding a sheet to be used at the final printing.
 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller also takes in a sheet that is unavailable for the output of the final printing from the second paper feed and discharges the sheet unavailable for the output of the final printing to a second paper discharging means different from a first paper discharging means to which a paper for the final printing is discharged.
 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller notifies the user on information on the sheets available for the output of the final printing or information on the number of the papers or the number of the copies whose images are formed by the image former at the final printing.
 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controller receives a user's selection of whether or not to use the sheet determined to be available for the output of the final printing as the output matter at the final printing actually.
 11. An image forming method implemented by an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including: an image former forming an image on a sheet, an image reader reading the image formed on the sheet, and a controller, wherein the method causes the controller to execute: acquiring a determination result of whether or not a sheet, on which an image read by the image reader is formed before final printing by the image former in order to create a reference image to be used for inspecting an output matter of a printing job, can be used for an output matter of the final printing; and controlling on a basis of the determination result the number of sheets or copies on which the images are to be formed using the image former at the final printing.
 12. A computer-readable non-volatile storage including an image forming program implemented by an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including: an image former forming an image on a sheet, an image reader reading the image formed on the sheet, and a controller, wherein the program, when executed by the controller, causes the controller to perform: acquiring a determination result on whether or not a sheet, on which an image read by the image reader is formed before final printing by the image former in order to create a reference image to be used for inspecting an output matter of a printing job can be used for an output matter of the final printing; and controlling on a basis of the determination result the number of sheets or copies on which the images are to be formed using the image former at the final printing. 